


Wrath, Pride, and Other Sins

by reflectedcha0s



Category: Far Cry (Video Games), Far Cry 5
Genre: Action/Adventure, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Multi, Retelling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-11
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:20:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23100850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reflectedcha0s/pseuds/reflectedcha0s
Summary: Jada Hale, a rookie sheriff's deputy, is thrust into an unexpected war within the once peaceful Hope County, Montana. All goes awry the day she and her colleagues arrive to arrest a crazed cult leader named Joseph Seed. Her team is abducted, countless cult members are sent after her, and use all their efforts in attempt to convert her to their side. She is a survivor, headstrong and defiant. Not only that, but she has powers that she had been unaware of, that Joseph wants to use to the cult's advantage. The more she resists, it seems the more people get hurt, and the more hostile Joseph and his Heralds become. Jada wants to do the right thing, and strives for justice, but every action she takes makes her doubtful. Will she join Eden's Gate, or fight them until the very end?
Kudos: 2





	1. The Compound

Jada Hale didn’t get nervous easily. So, she surprised herself when she noticed that she was gripping her knee a bit too tightly, and clenching her jaw a bit too hard. The briefing video she had just finished watching about Joseph Seed, aka 'The Father', would probably be enough to make anyone anxious, though. What a piece of work this guy was. He claimed to know and preach the will of God, and he and his siblings used coercion, manipulation, intimidation and physical force, to get people to join 'The Project at Eden’s Gate'. It grew rapidly, and unexpectedly. Soon enough, nearly the whole county was under their control. He claimed that the end of the world was coming, and those in Eden’s Gate would be spared from ‘the collapse’. If anyone tried to stop the Seed family, things didn’t end well; they'd end up dead, or converted. She wondered what would happen to her team; Sheriff Whitehorse, Deputy Pratt, Deputy Hudson, Marshall Burke, and herself; a junior deputy on probation. Their task was to arrest Joseph Seed at his compound. She knew already that this man would not be easy to detain; his followers were fully armed, unyieldingly faithful, and many in number.

Even the Sheriff seemed wary. Jada noticed him watching her as she looked down at her phone, the screen now filled with static. “You’re wasting your time, Hale,” he said. “No signal out here.”  
She shrugged and put the phone away in her back pocket. She didn't want to watch more of that lunatic and his ramblings, anyway. She looked out the open door of the helicopter, taking in the view, feeling the wind whip against her. Strands of her long, dark hair had come loose from her braid and annoyingly tickled her face. It was a cool night and the skies were clear enough to see the stars. The mountains were a gorgeous site. From up so high, you'd never guess there was a doomsday cult wreaking havoc below.

“Crossing over the Henbane now.” Deputy Pratt announced over the radio. Even with their headsets on it was still slightly difficult to hear anyone speak over the loud whirring of the helicopter.

They approached an enormous monument of Joseph Seed, a bible of some sort in one hand, his other raised to the sky. The statue was tall enough that Pratt had to maneuver the helicopter to the right so we wouldn’t hit it. Jada shook her head in awe and disbelief.

“Oh fuck, there he is.” Deputy Hudson announced, both dread and disgust clearly audible in her tone.  
“Crazy motherfucker.” Pratt remarked.  
“Jesus…” Sheriff Whitehorse chimed in, leaning to the side to get a better view of the statue.   
“I guess he thinks he basically is.” Jada muttered, and the Sheriff nodded in agreement.  
Marshall Burke rolled his eyes. “How much longer?”  
“Just long enough for you to change your mind so we can turn this bird around.” Whitehorse replied. The Sheriff was a man who preferred diplomacy over war, and he knew that things here would turn sour. He was older, in his mid-fifties, so Jada respected his input, not only because of his rank, but also, he had much more experience than any of them. The fact that he was noticeably perturbed added to her uncertainty. Even so, she made sure her body language was confident. She sat up straight and maintained a neutral expression.

Marshall Burke’s agitation grew. “You want me to ignore a federal warrant, Sheriff?” He waved the form in his hand.

“No sir,” said Whitehorse, “I want you to understand the reality of this situation. Joseph Seed—he’s not a man to be fucked with. We’ve had run-ins with him before and they haven’t always gone our way…” he explained, crossing his arms. “Just sometimes… sometimes it’s best to leave well enough alone.”

“Yeah, well, we have laws for a reason, Sheriff, and Joseph Seed is gonna learn that today.” The Marshall was unfazed, clearly, and more determined than the rest of them to arrest Joseph. Burke folded up the warrant and leaned back in his seat without another word, awaiting our arrival to the compound.

Sheriff Whitehorse let out a faint, conceding sigh. “Hmm. Pratt, open a call with dispatch.”

“Ten-four.” Said Pratt.

The Sheriff adjusted his microphone, moving it closer to his mouth, which was covered by a thick moustache. “Whitehorse to dispatch. Over.”

The static was broken by a female voice. She sounded older and was soft-spoken. “Go ahead, Earl.”

“We’re approaching the compound, Nancy. Over.”

“Roger, Sheriff,” Nancy acknowledged. “You still planning on going through with this? Over.”

Even more doubt. Jada shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Another sigh from the Sheriff.

“Unfortunately, we are, but I’m still trying to talk some sense into our friend, the Marshall, here. Over.”

Nancy chuckled. “Alright…. Lucky I’m not there.. If you get into any trouble, you just let me know. Over.”

“Ten-Four. Over and out.” Whitehorse replied.

“Maybe we should have brought Nancy with us instead of the probie,” Deputy Pratt said, jerking his thumb back in Jada's direction.

“Pratt.” Deputy Hudson snapped disapprovingly. Jada liked her, so far. She was compassionate and protective, but still tough-as-nails. The two also sort of looked similar. Pratt joked that Jada and Hudson were long-lost sisters.

“What? No way the peggies would fuck with Nancy, that’s all I’m sayin’.” Pratt laughed.

“They’ll soon learn they shouldn’t fuck with me, either.” Jada shot back.

Marshall Burke smirked approvingly. “That’s the attitude I like to see.”

Jada smirked back at him, even though she didn’t feel as confident as she sounded. That was her thing; she came across as self-assured and even a little cocky, but she forced herself to be that way. She hated being perceived as weak.

“So why do you keep callin’ em peggies?” Burke asked. Jada wondered the same thing, trying not to snort at the possibility of it being sexual. 

“Project at Eden’s Gate: P.E.G. – Peggies. It’s what the locals call ‘em.” Explained the Sheriff. “You know, they started off harmless enough a few years back. But now they are armed to the teeth; they’re lookin’ for a fight.”

Marshall Burke placed a hand on his knee and faced the sheriff. “Are you scared, Sheriff?”

“We’re here. Compound’s just below,” Pratt announced before Sheriff Whitehorse could respond.

Jada looked to her left, out of the helicopter, and down below at the compound. There was a small church, lit by bonfires, and a few more small buildings surrounding it, likely to be housing Eden’s Gate members and storage for weapons and supplies of all kinds. It was surrounded by a metal gate, and from above they could see at minimum sixty to seventy ‘peggies’ patrolling the grounds inside, armed with rifles. And…flamethrowers? She noticed. Jada steeled herself for what would come next.

The Sheriff sighed deeply and gruffly.

“Oh my Jesus…” exclaimed Pratt.

“Fuck. This is a bad idea.” Hudson said shakily.

“Last chance, Marshall…” Sheriff Whitehorse urged.

Even the Marshall now looked uneasy, but it was only for a split second that Jada caught his expression. He took a deep breath. “We’re going in.” He said firmly.

“Set ‘er down, Pratt.” Whitehorse instructed.

“Roger, that.” Deputy Pratt replied. He lowered the helicopter further until they reached the ground. The peggies made their way closer to the helicopter, scowling and looking menacing.

“Dispatch, you still there?” The Sheriff asked.

“Yes, go ahead, Sheriff.” Nancy responded right away.

“If you don’t hear from us in fifteen minutes…” he looked at Jada and gave a calming motion with his hand, after her eyes had gone wide, “send in everyone. Call the goddamn National Guard if you have to. Over.”

“Yessir, Sheriff. I’ll be praying for you.”

Something about the way she said that made Jada uncomfortable.

The Sheriff removed his headset, followed by the others. He raised his voice over the whir of the helicopter. “Now, listen up.”

Pratt and Hudson turned around from the front seats and listened intently to the Sheriff. Marshall Burke already had a leg out the door, but halted. “Three rules: Stick close, keep your guns in your holsters and let me do the talking. Got it?” That last rule seemed to be mostly for the Marshall. Whitehorse picked his hat up from the floor and placed it on his head, covering his bald spot and graying hair.

“Yeah, got it.” Burke replied.

“Rookie?” The Sheriff looked to Jada.

“Yes, sir.” She nodded. She hoped she wouldn't be ‘rookie’ for long.

“Alright everyone, stay sharp. Let’s go.”

The team exited the helicopter swiftly, in unison, and remained close by each other as they walked through the compound grounds and towards the church. Jada's hand hovered above the holster of her gun, just in case.

“Careful. These folk spook easily, let’s not give them a reason to fire at us, right?” Sheriff Whitehorse informed them in a low voice.

“’Rook! On me. Stay loose, huh?”

Jada hurried even closer to Deputy Hudson, after she noticed she was straying a tad behind while observing the cultists. They were dressed in dirty, tattered clothing, many of it sloppily painted with the Eden’s Gate symbol. It was everywhere, if not on their clothes, then marked upon their foreheads or entire face. She never understood religion of any kind, how anyone could devote their life to something so blindly. She grew up in a strict Catholic family and was used to extreme religious folk. This was a whole _different_ kind of extreme.

They had been there less than a minute and the peggies were shouting at them, calling them ‘sinners’, and telling them to leave. Their guard dogs barked and snapped, the chains that held them rattled and clinked as the animals tried to lunge forward.

“Calm down!” Whitehorse said with his hands raised, showing he was not using his weapon. “This doesn’t concern you. Just go about your business.”

That didn’t help much. Peggies continued to follow in their wake, waving their rifles, shotguns, and pistols and shouting at the deputies, the Sheriff and the Marshall. Still, they let them pass. They walked through and opened gate, towards the church. The cultist guarding the gate stared down the group beneath his wild, matted hair. Not only did the cultists look dirty, but they smelled. It was a weird, unpleasant smell Jada could not describe. Combined with the burning wood, rubber, and whatever else was in those fires, and the leaking green barrels placed throughout the compound made her sneer in disgust every time she caught a strong whiff of it.  
  
“I guess showering is considered a sin here.” She joked, attempting to ease some tension, but no one reacted. She didn't always have the best timing with humour.

“Sheriff…I don’t like this.” Deputy Hudson said. Her head darted left to right, flinching once she caught sight of a cultist with a rocket launcher, casually held over his shoulder. She exchanged a horrified glance with Jada.

“Everything will be just fine.” Sheriff Whitehorse reassured.

“Jesus Christ. We’re wearing badges, aren’t we?” Marshall Burke asked rhetorically.

“They don’t respect badges much out here…” Hudson replied. She subtly motioned for Jada to come even closer. She was at her side now. Jada wasn't sure if Hudson wanted to comfort her or needed comforting herself. Either way, she didn't mind.

“They’ll respect a nine-millimeter.” The Marshall added flatly. He was only convincing himself. He continued his arrogant stride.

“Not every problem can be solved with a bullet, Marshall.” The Sheriff said with a slow shake of his head, just as they reached the front doors to the church. A choir singing ‘Amazing Grace’ could be heard from within. Jada never found that song to be creepy, until that moment. The white paint on the doors was peeling, and carved with words she couldn’t quite make out in the dim light. Probably some quotes from Joseph.

Burke reached for the handle and was about to pry the doors open, when Sheriff Whitehorse stopped him. “Whoa, Marshall. Now we do this, we do it my way: Quietly. Calmly. You got it?”

Jada was thankful they were doing it the Sheriff’s way. The Marshall would likely just barge in, guns raised, slap some cuffs on Joseph, cause an uproar and get them all killed instantly.

Burke outstretched his arms and shrugged, giving the Sheriff an exasperated look. “Fine.”

Whitehorse placed his hands on his hips. “Hudson, on the door. Watch our backs. Don’t let any of these people get in.”

Hudson nodded.

“Rookie—on me,” he said, then turned to The Marshall. “And you. Just try not to do anything stupid.”

The Marshall smirked, and placed a hand on the Sheriff’s shoulder. “Relax, Sheriff, you’re about to get your name in the paper.” He stepped back and let the older man take the lead.

Sheriff Whitehorse opened the doors. Deputy Hudson must have noticed Jada tremble, because she briefly placed her hand on her arm, and in the softest voice, said: “You’ll be fine.” Jada couldn’t do anything but nod, but it looked like more of a twitch.

The doors fully opened with a soft creak. The singing continued, and there was Joseph was at the altar, slowly pacing back and forth. All attention was still on him. It was much more jarring seeing him in person than through a video. For some reason, the thought had crossed Jada's mind before that he couldn't have been real, but he very much was. He was taller than she expected. He was shirtless, with tattoos all over his body—not fully covered, but there were many. The ones that stood out to her were the names of the seven deadly sins in jagged red letters.

“Something is coming. You can feel it, can’t you? We are creeping towards the edge… And there will be a reckoning…”

The team carefully, and slowly, continued to step forward, lead by the Sheriff and the Marshall. 

“That is why we started the project. Because we know what happens next,” Joseph’s voice raised, and he turned to face them. The peggies turned as well.

“They will come. They will try to take from us. Take our guns. Take our freedom… take our faith.”

The peggies started to rise from their pews. Jada and her colleagues were the bad guys, here to rain on their fucked-up parade. The Marshall motioned towards the Sheriff; without a word she knew he was asking him what the next move would be. Whitehorse simply dismissed him with a wave of his hand, but nodded his head, silently saying, “I’ve got this.”

“We will not let them.” Joseph continued to preach. The pews creaked as more cultists rose from their seated positions, clearly ready to attack the deputies, or defend Joseph, of which she wasn’t sure.

“Sheriff, ‘common.” Marshall Burke prompted, gesturing towards Joseph, moving forward a tad faster.

“Just hold on, Marshall.” Whitehorse snapped under his breath.

“We will not let their greed, or their immortality, or their depravity hurt us anymore! There will be no more suffering…”

They were only a few feet away from Joseph now. He peered down at them through his yellow-tinted aviators. The light fixture shaped in the Eden’s Gate symbol shone behind and above him, highlighting his frame and shadowing his face.

“Sheriff!” The Marshall hissed.

“Do not pull that trigger. Remain calm…” Whitehorse reached an arm out towards the Marshall.

Burke shook his head. “No, fuck this!”

The Sheriff huffed in annoyance and took a step back. Jada looked around them. Already, the situation was getting out of control.

Burke pulled out the warrant and shoved it towards Joseph, only inches from his face. “Joseph Seed! I have a warrant issued for your arrest, on the suspicion of kidnapping with intent to harm. Now I want you to step forward, and keep your hands where I can see ‘em!”

Joseph’s demeanour remained calm, relaxed, as he raised his arms, the golden light illuminated his toned arms and chest. “Here they are,” he said, gesturing to them, “the locusts in our garden. See, they’ve come for me.”

The Eden’s gate members that were off to the side, guarding the church, walked over, their rifles in arm, and barricaded Joseph.

“They’ve come to take me away from you. They’ve come to destroy all that we’ve built!”

Angry protests filled the room. The peggies were shouting again. Exclaiming their devotion to Joseph and how they would not let him be taken away.

“Put your guns down! Put them down!” Marshall Burke shouted back.

Sheriff Whitehorse kept trying to diffuse the tension. “Now hold on. Do not touch that service weapon! Hold on and stand down! Everyone calm down!” His voice was nearly drowned out.  
The commotion settled when Joseph stepped forward and parted the crowd protecting him. “Silence.” His voice was commanding, and haunting. The room went still. Jada felt her heart hammering in her chest. “We knew this moment would come. We have prepared for it. Now go. God will not let them take me.”

She had a sinking feeling in her gut that this was guaranteed to not go the right way.

The peggies shuffled out of the room, daggers in their eyes, one of them nudged her hard in the shoulder as he passed. She scowled but her gaze did not leave Joseph. With the peggies cleared out, she then noticed the rest of the Seed family standing behind him on the candle-lit altar, closing in, staring at the team—no—staring at _her_ in particular.

From left-to right, the first figure was a tall, red-haired man with a muscular build and a pock-scarred face beneath his scraggly beard. He wore a US army uniform with the sleeves rolled up. His arms were crossed as he stared her down, then up, then down again. He looked unimpressed and scoffed. Jada felt like she was being judged, or examined, which made her deeply uncomfortable, so she diverted her gaze to the figure in the middle. The next sibling was a slightly shorter, dark-haired man. Younger, too. He had the most piercing blue eyes she had ever seen—they were noticeable even in the dim light. He had neatly trimmed beard, slicked back hair, and judging from his fashionable attire that hugged his lean frame, he was wealthy and liked to flaunt it. He was smirking, and looked at her like she was his prey. She narrowed her eyes at him, then studied the next figure. She was the 'sister', but appeared unrelated to them. Smaller, thin, with long, dirty-blonde hair and green eyes. She wore an all-white, floral patterned dress, decorated with real flowers along one side. The dress came to just above her knees and was torn and frayed at the ends. She seemed to be in her mid-twenties, around the same age as Jada. She smiled sweetly, but Jada could tell there was something sinister behind it. This whole family made her feel physically ill.

Joseph raised his arms and lifted his gaze upward. “I saw when the lamb opened the First Seal, and I heard as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts say, 'Come and see'...”

The Marshall had lost what little patience he had. “Step. Forward.” He demanded hotly.

Joseph's tone firmed. He dropped his arms and stared at the Marshall. “...and I saw. And behold it was a white horse...” he pointed at the Sheriff, then to Jada, “And Hell followed with him.”

Whitehorse. Hale. Interesting coincidence, Jada noted. She simply raised an eyebrow at him. Joseph held his arms forward, allowing the handcuffs to be placed on.

“Rookie, cuff this son of a bitch.” Marshall Burke said smugly. Everyone watched, waiting to see if she would follow her orders. The room was quiet enough to hear a pin drop.

Joseph's stare was so intense, so invasive, that she wanted to look away. It was as if he saw into her soul. Knew who she was. Jada fumbled slightly with the handcuffs, but took them off of her belt and grabbed Joseph's wrist.

“God will not let you take me.” He said, unblinking. She hesitated. His actions were reprehensible. He was clearly crazy, and dangerous, and she knew that if he continued what he was doing, he would harm more innocent people. So why did she suddenly feel like what she was doing was _wrong_?

“Deputy Hale,” The Marshall urged, “what are you waiting for?”  
  
“You can walk away from this.” Joseph whispered. “Put down your guns, take your friends, and leave this place.”

Jada looked from Burke, to Whitehorse, to Hudson, to Pratt; they each gave me a small, subtle nod to continue with the arrest. She regained her nerve. Joseph was trying to make her feel afraid. “No.” She said.  
Defiantly, she looked up into his round, blue eyes, and slapped the cuffs on his wrists. They clicked into place. She moved behind Joseph and gave him a shove forward, leaving her hand on his shoulder to direct him out of the church.

Joseph did not resist, he closed his eyes and exhaled through his nose. In an even lower whisper, one that only Jada could hear: “Sometimes the best thing to do, is to walk away. You had your chance."  
She tried to ignore him, but a chill went down her spine.

Deputy Hudson and Deputy Pratt opened the church doors, Marshall Burke and Sheriff Whitehorse went out first with their weapons drawn. Jada lead Joseph out and they began to make their way back to the helicopter.  
“We gotta get the fuck out of here.” Hudson said as she followed behind Jada. The peggies were, to say the least, not happy about their beloved Father being taken away. The shouting rose, they waved their weapons, walked in front of them and tried to block their path, reached out to Joseph in concern and panic. Marshall Burke elbowed and shoved many out of the way, screaming at them to move or he would shoot them. “I am a Federal Marshall. I'm ordering you to stand back!”  
Joseph was silent, letting the chaos ensue. Jada walked as fast as she could, pushing Joseph along with her. She looked back at Hudson who was fending off two cult members, knocking one in the head with the handle of her gun, and kicking away another. “Let's hurry this up!” She yelled.

The team picked up their pace into a jog, passing by the white houses with fenced yards and barking dogs. As they got closer to the helicopter, the peggies grew more frantic. The Marshall had no choice but to fire a few rounds from his handgun into the air. And for a brief few seconds, they were scared off long enough for Jada to shove Joseph in his seat.  
They scrambled inside, the Marshall being the last one in, after he elbowed and punched three more peggies as they attempted to climb in after them. “Get back! Get the fuck back!”  
Pratt, hands shaking, fired up the helicopter and rotor was in motion.

Jada was stunned with horror. Everything happened so fast. The cultists were relentless. They released their attack dogs, They dove for the helicopter, desperate to retrieve Joseph. They tried to shatter the windows and doors, climb on the helicopter and inside. A burly man with a red symbol painted on his face and nearly all-white eyes grabbed her leg, pulled, and nearly managed to yank her out, but Hudson held on firmly to Jada by the arms. “Rook, I got you!”  
Jada kicked the cultist, then Marshall Burke shot him in the face. Blood spurted, some getting on her uniform. She winced. The man's grip released, and his body fell to the ground with a thud.  
“Let's go, we've gotta go!” The Marshall cried, shooting peggies left and right.  
“We're too heavy!” Pratt was frantic, flipping switches and pressing buttons on the control panel. There was a cultist on the front window, smashing it repeatedly with a brick. It started to crack. "Holy shit," Jada gasped. The Sheriff, Hudson, The Marshall and Jada worked on clearing the peggies away from the sides of the helicopter, and finally we were able to lift from the ground. Jada watched as another peggie she kicked away scream and plummet towards his death. Joseph leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes, and began to sing Amazing Grace. They ascended higher and higher, but the cultist woman on the window stopped, released the brick, peered in at them, and with a smile, climbed upwards out of view. “No...” Whitehorse muttered in terror and defeat. There was a sickening crunch, and blood and viscera sprayed across the windows as she threw herself into the rapidly spinning blades. Hudson shrieked. Jada could hear Pratt breathing frantically as he tried to maintain control of the helicopter. The blades came to a stuttering halt and the alarm blared, flashing red. "Brace for impact!" She shut her eyes, and prepared for the end. Her stomach churned as they spun wildly.

Joseph, through it all, continued to sing. Marshall Burke yelling at him to shut up, was the last thing Jada heard, before they hit the ground, and everything went dark.


	2. No Way Out

Minutes later, Jada was awake, but entirely disoriented as she hung upside down, still buckled in to the seat. Fire burned around the helicopter, pieces of it scattered in the dirt. She felt the intense heat of the flames. Through her blurred vision she saw Marshall Burke across from her, Hudson next to her, Pratt in the front seat, but Sheriff Whitehorse was gone. His headset dangled in front of her, and through it, she could faintly hear Nancy's plea for anyone to answer.

Jada reached out, trying to grab the headset to let Nancy know at least one of them was still alive, but another hand reached out and gripped her wrist firmly, stopping her. She turned her head and saw Joseph, bloodied and bruised from the crash, but of course, alive.  
“Amazing Grace, how sweet... the sound...”  
Still singing that goddamn song.  
“That saved... a wretch... like me...”  
He watched her, as he held her wrist. Her vision was fading in and out, she had a pounding headache from the impact and likely all the blood rushing to her head. Blood dripped into her eyes from a cut lip and busted nose. She let out a weak groan.

“Is anyone there? Anyone?” Nancy's sobs went ignored.  
Joseph's gaze was still fixed on Jada. He shook his head and clicked his tongue lightly, scolding her as if she were a child. “I told you that God wouldn't let you take me.”  
She would have told him to fuck off, but couldn't manage a single word through the pain she felt.  
“Please. I need to know what's going on...” Nancy begged.  
Joseph grabbed the headset. “Dispatch,” he said into the microphone, “everything is just fine here. No need to call anyone.”  
Silence. She wondered if Nancy was trying to figure out who answered. What Jada heard next made her feel like her stomach had dropped into her throat. “Yes, Father. Praise be to you.”  
Joseph released the headset, letting it sway. Jada's eyes stung with tears of anger. _Nancy is one of them?!_

Joseph leaned in, close enough that their noses were nearly touching. This guy had no concept of personal space. “No one is coming to save you.” He whispered. He let his gaze linger on Jada's for a moment, then maneuvered his way out of the crashed helicopter and greeted the cultists gathering around him just outside. “Everything is unfolding according to God's Plan. I am still here with you,” he told them, proudly, spreading his arms and allowing them to embrace him. He stepped up onto the hood of a truck, to speak above the crowd. “The first seal has been broken. The collapse has begun! We will take what we need. We will preserve what we have. And we will kill all those who stand in our way.”

Deputy Hudson and the Marshall started to stir. Relief flooded over Jada. “Rook,” Hudson whispered hoarsely, just as glad to see her breathing.  
“These harbingers of doom will see the truth...” Joseph continued in the background.  
“We gotta get out of here,” Jada croaked. Hudson nodded and began fiddling with her seat belt, and the Marshall did the same.  
“BEGIN THE REAPING,” Joseph shouted to his followers. They cheered and hollered and began to make their way over to the helicopter. Hudson cussed under her breath. She freed herself from her seat but the peggies immediately pulled her out and dragged her away. “Get the fuck off me!” She screamed and thrashed. They seized Deputy Pratt next, who was unconscious and unable to put up a fight.  
“No! Hudson! Pratt!” Jada called out, still pinned in her seat. She cussed and kept fiddling with the buckle. Flames grew hotter and higher and threatened to burn the Marshall and Jada alive. The peggies reaching in for them retreated from the roaring flames.  
“Let them burn!” Joseph said. “This is God's will. This is their punishment.”  
Marshall Burke undid his seat belt, fell down to the roof of the helicopter and quickly scrambled his way out the other side, facing the forest. He ran until he was swallowed by the darkness.  
The flames were so hot it was unbearable, but the belt was jammed and Jada was stuck. Just when she thought it could be the end for for, the clasp finally came loose with one final tug and she braced herself with her arm to not let her head hit the roof. The helicopter became fully engulfed the moment she crawled out. _That was way too close._

There is no graceful way to get up after being held upside down for a while. Jada tried to rise to her feet and run, but only managed a few steps. She was still so dizzy, she fell to the side, straight into a bush. Thankfully the peggies didn't see, and they ran right by her and chased after the Marshall, assuming she ran along with him. Jada waited until it was completely silent to make a move. She needed to lie down and get her bearings, anyway. Joseph and the peggies seemed to clear off, so she made her way into the woods.  
 _Oh, what a mess. What a fucking mess_.

Jada sprinted as far as she could manage, then jogged, then walked once she got winded, still grimacing from how bruised she was. She pinched the bridge of her nose in attempt to stop the bleeding. She was no longer seeing double and her eyes eventually adjusted to the dark. She was able to use the moonlight to lead herself towards a path, which she followed to a small cabin. There was a cultist sitting at a campfire, and another patrolling the perimeter of the cabin. She sunk low to the ground to avoid being spotted, and approached cautiously, glancing down at her feet to make sure she didn't step on any twigs that would snap under her boots. She reached for a thick branch on the ground to use as a club. The cultist was still preoccupied, warming his hands at the fire, and the other was now out of view. She brought the branch down as hard as she could onto the cultist's head, knocking him out cold, then took the handgun from his belt, and moved towards the cabin. She ducked away just in time as the other cultist rounded the corner. “What?” He hurried over to his downed friend. He raised his rifle and spun wildly in each direction, looking for the perpetrator. “Show yourself!”

Jada came up to him as his back was to her, handgun drawn, and cocked it. “Here I am. Hands up. Drop your weapon.” She ordered. He complied, slowly turning around and lowering his rifle to the ground. Once it left his hand, she slammed the pistol across his face a couple of times, the first hit stunned him, the second dropped him. If she needed to shoot them, she would. For now, a non-lethal take down weighed easier on her conscience at least. She put the handgun in her holster and picked up the auto rifle. It was fully loaded. The cabin must have been being guarded for a reason, so she went inside to check it out.

The cabin was mostly torn apart and in shambles. The only light inside was a single lantern. The windows were broken in and wood pieces were scattered around the floor. It was void of furniture and only had shelves and boxes inside, stocked with mostly ammunition and weapons. Jada picked up a few throwing knives, a couple of hand grenades, some more ammo for the rifle and handgun. There was not much more she could carry without any packs on her, so she decided to keep it light. There was a first aid kit attached to the wall next to the door. She heard commotion outside and did not have time to stop and patch herself up. _Damn._ Begrudgingly, she made her way out of the rear door of the cabin, and back into the cover of the woods.

She ran, aimlessly, hoping somehow she would find Marshall Burke.  
Half an hour passed and Jada was beginning to lose that hope. The only sound she heard was her own footfalls, panting, and crickets chirping. She decided it was safe to take another small break. She diverted from the path slightly and rested against a tree. She was dirty, bloody, and sweaty. Her braid had come fully undone and her hair was just a tangled mess. She kept trying to push it back and out of her face. “Fucks' sake”, she muttered as she pulled it all to one side and over her shoulder.  
As she was fumbling with her mane, a familiar voice came through on her two-way radio. “Hello? Anyone hearing me? It's Burke...Hello?”  
She sighed in relief. “Marshall,” she replied. “This is Deputy Hale. I hear you.”  
“Rookie! Good, good. Ok. Listen, I think I lost 'em. I see a... I think a trailer, nearby. It's next to a long bridge... I'm gonna try and get inside. Meet me...”  
His voice faded out and he would not respond to her. Without delay, Jada continued on, looking out for the bridge he mentioned.

Through the trees, she could see more light from campfires ahead. She decided to follow them, while being cautious not to run into any cultists. It was still silent; she heard no people, but was worried now about any animals that could be stalking her if she got too far into the woods. They were in the perfect territory for cougars, wolves, and bears. She was back on the path. She came to a watchtower and decided to climb it, grunting quietly as she pulled herself up each step of the latter. It was a long way up. Once she reached the top, she was able to see above the tree-line. In the distance, to the north, sure enough she spotted a long wooden bridge, and on the other side, a trailer house. That had to be it. She made a mental note of the peggie campsites she could see from above, and would stay clear of them. She slid down the ladder, making it down much quicker than when she went up, then broke into a jog.

After a few minutes, Jada reached the bridge and made her way across. She wasn't sure if there were any peggies around yet, so she walked as quietly and quickly as she could. She surveyed the area. It was all clear from what she could tell. There was a white pick-up truck painted with the Eden's Gate symbol, parked under a flickering lamppost, which meant peggies were not too far away. She jumped over a stack of logs and went up the stairs to the trailer door, opening it slowly.  
She probably should have called out to say it was her. The Marshall, looking furious and spattered with dry blood, grabbed her by the shoulders and slammed her against the wall.  
“Oh, shit! Rook, I'm sorry. I thought you were one of them.” He released his grip.  
Jada winced and rubbed the back of her head. “I tried to say I was coming, but I don't think you heard me on the radio.”  
“No, I didn't. Signal is shit out here.” He gave her an apologetic glance.  
She shrugged it off. “It's fine. These damn cultists have us all in fight mode right now.”

The Marshall closed the door behind her and told her to help him search the rest of the trailer. _It's a nice home_ , she thought to herself as she did a quick inspection. Decorated and furnished in the way she was familiar with, growing up in Texas. Cowboy hats on the hangers, framed photos of majestic American landscapes and animals, fishing rods and plaques hung on the walls. Checkered wallpaper and Floral curtains. Rustic furniture. But it had clearly been overtaken by Eden's Gate, evident by their symbols and scriptures painted and carved everywhere, and the plethora of guns and ammunition stored in each container and cabinet. Oh, and a damn ugly portrait of Joseph Seed and his creepy family. Marshall Burke spotted it at the same time she did.  
“Fuck!” He pointed to it, took the frame off the wall and tossed it to the ground, shattering the glass. “We are putting this whole family away. All of 'em. Fuckin' lunatics!”  
Jada stayed silent. She wasn't sure how they were going to do that. Especially in their current situation.  
“We're getting out of this, rookie.” He insisted. He took some ammo off a shelf and loaded his handgun. “First thing: Arm ourselves.” He gave her a brief thumbs up when he saw I was equipped with an auto rifle. He walked over to the window and ducked down, looking out of it. She crouched next to him, awaiting his plan. “Alright, here's what we're going to do. There's a road out there. We're going to take it, and head northeast. It's probably only a few hours back to Missoula. Then we're going to come back here with the National Guard.” He took her by the shoulders. “We are going to take out the rest of these—”

“They came around this way! Check inside the trailers!”

He was interrupted by a male voice from outside.  
The Marshall hushed Jada and gave her a nod to cover the opposite window. She crawled over to it, peered out, and readied her weapon.  
She wasn't sure if they spotted her, or Burke, but their cover was already blown. “A deputy and the Marshall are in there!” one of them called. Gunfire followed. Bullets rained and shattered the windows, leaving holes in the walls and spraying bits of wood and debris everywhere.  
“I got the keys to that truck out there!” The Marshall shouted over the gunfire. “Cover me!”  
“Got it!” Jada shouted back. As soon as she heard them reloading their weapons, she peaked out of the window and shot at each cultist she could see. They dropped to the ground in a bloodied mess. Now, killing them was necessary, but she didn't exactly feel good about it. She tossed out a grenade, then another, towards the ones hiding in cover. The Marshall and Jada ran out of the trailer and towards the truck just as the grenades exploded. They had a moment in the clear to get into the truck. More peggies emerged from the surrounding woods, and the truck exterior clinked and cracked as they fired at them. The windows shattered and they were exposed. The Marshall cussed repeatedly as he turned the key again and again. The engine finally revved to life, tires spinning and screeching in the dirt, and they sped off, down the uneven road. Jada's heart was racing. She already had one too many near-death experiences for one night. She leaned out of the window and took out any peggies behind them. The peggies probably had their own unlimited supply of vehicles and it would not be long until more pursued.  
Further up the road there was a fence with cultists guarding it. “Get back in.” The Marshall said. Jada leaned inside. He pushed harder on the gas, and she jerked back in her seat. They crashed right through the gate, and became airborne for a couple seconds after hitting a bump in the road, then landed with a bounce. “Holy shit,” she gasped, clutching the armrests so tightly her knuckles went white.

They made it to the main road. “Nice work back there rookie,” Burke said as we passed a sign that said 'Welcome to Henbane River'. “I'd be dead if it weren't for you.”  
“Not so bad yourself.” Jada managed a smirk. She was still wide-eyed from adrenaline coursing through her.  
“We gotta get back. But we gotta be smart. We don't know who we can trust.” He sneered. “Fuckin' NANCY.”  
She shared that sentiment.  
The two looked ahead, and saw they were coming up on a roadblock. Of course, _more_ peggies. In armed vehicles. They fired a red flare into the sky, signalling for even more backup.  
“DAMN IT,” The Marshall growled. “They've got the roads blocked!”  
“Don't slow down.” Jada said. She loaded more ammo into her rifle. Any fear she felt was now being bypassed with rage and determination. She didn't know if she'd survive, but she was sure as hell going to try.  
“Oh, I don't intend to.” He sped forward, gripping the steering wheel tighter.  
Jada leaned out of the window again, lining up cultists in her sight as they rapidly approached the roadblock. The Marshall swerved left and right, and avoided most of the gunfire. Jada made the peggie in the mounted gun on top of one of their trucks her priority target. Before the peggie could get the gun started, Jada shot her down. Burke smashed through the barricades, making a hard turn left to avoid the sandbags, pylons, and cement blocks. They made it through once more, but there were more peggies on their tail.

“Keep them off of us!” Burke commanded. Jada fired her rifle at the window of the peggies' truck, shattering the glass and killing the man inside. She saw blood spray across the seat, he slumped down onto the steering wheel, his head landing on the horn. The blaring horn faded as he swerved off-road into a ditch.  
“We have to get off the main road!” Jada told the Marshall. If they kept driving in a straight line it would be too easy for the peggies to follow.  
“Right. Hold on!”  
More Eden's Gate trucks were not far behind. _God damn it_. The Marshall drove to a dirt path and onto some train tracks. They veered around train car after train car, managing to lose some peggies, but there were still three trucks behind them. The tracks were too bumpy for Jada to aim properly, so she was just firing wildly.

“Rook, there's some dynamite in the back! Grab it and take these fuckers out!”  
“You're telling me this now!?”  
“We were doing fine without it. Now we really need it. Just go!”  
She didn't argue. Jada shimmied to the back seat and pulled herself out of the back window which had come off completely, and kept herself down low in the trunk. The peggies were still shooting at them. She searched the trunk. There was a sack filled with sticks of dynamite. She dug in, pulling out the dynamite and a match. She lit the dynamite and held on to it for a moment before letting it fly, just to be sure it would explode at the right moment. It went off right as it hit the windshield of the truck right behind them. BOOM. It was airborne and crashed on its side.

Two left.  
The peggies avoided the heap of flames and metal and were catching up to Jada and the Marshall. She lit another batch of dynamite, waited, then tossed it. Her aim was a bit off but she still managed to land it in the enemies' trunk. The peggies began screaming and screeched to a halt, attempting to get out and run but it was too late. The dynamite went off with them inside.  
The last truck was right beside her now. Jada knew they were in too close proximity to use the dynamite.  
  
There were two peggies in the back of their own vehicle with guns, and one in the driver's seat. Jada didn't think much about her next action. Her body just reacted. She leapt into the peggies' trunk, landing on top of a female peggie. She knocked the pistol from her hand and jammed a throwing knife into her neck. Jada stood up lightning fast and tried to pull the rifle out of the other's grasp, but he was a few inches taller and much brawnier, so they wrestled with it for a while. He pinned her against the side of the trunk and pressed the rifle against her throat. _Shit._ She struggled for the other throwing knife in her back pocket. Her vision was getting spotty from loss of air, but she managed to grip it just in time. She whipped out the knife and slammed it into his thigh, causing him to shriek in pain. As he was distracted, desperately trying to pull it out the knife and clutching his leg, Jada kicked him over the side. She took a gasping breath in and touched her tender neck. Another bruise, for sure.  
The peggie in the driver's seat half-turned around with his handgun and shot out the back window at her. She ducked down below his eye level. His attention was on her and he did not realize he was about to drive right into a train car. The moment he stopped firing, Jada got to her feet and onto the roof of the truck. Marshall Burke had kept their stolen truck in alignment the entire time. She jumped towards it just before the peggie collided with the train car. The sound of the crash was nearly deafening. She took a brief moment, lying down in the trunk to catch her breath and process what just happened. She still wasn't dead. She leaned up to a seated position and crawled in through the back window and climbed over to the front seat. The Marshall, stared, open-mouthed at her as she slumped into her seat. "Well done... but are you fucking crazy?" He yelled.   
Jada grimaced without answering.

The Marshall drove away from the train tracks, onto another dirt road. They passed a few farms and open flat fields. Just when Jada thought they lost their pursuers, she heard the unmistakable roar of a plane engine fly over them.  
“Don't tell me they have fucking air support?!” He yelled in disbelief. At that point, _nothing_ surprised Jada. The plane circled around and had them in their sights. It swooped low to the ground and began shooting at the truck. The Marshall slammed on the breaks, then reversed out of the line of fire. The plane ascended again and went to loop around for another attack. Burke stepped on the gas and they were racing down the road again. There was nothing Jada could do against a goddamn plane.

Four peggies, two each on separate ATVs, crashed through the tree line and were gaining on them. “Purge the sinners!”  
“Oh _come ON_.” Jada groaned, truly fed up. She picked up her rifle again and instead of shooting directly at them, she aimed for their tires and blew them out. The peggies spun wildly and crashed, and the impact onto the road probably killed them, but there was a chance they could've survived. She didn't want to shoot anyone else. She knew she was just defending herself, but she had seen more death in just a few hours than she ever had in her whole life. Jada wanted to be a deputy because she wanted to help people. She wanted to protect and defend, do something meaningful with her life, see some excitement here and there. She never expected anything like what she had been thrown into.

The Marshall veered onto the main paved road again, as it was the only way towards getting out. The cultists just kept coming. They were so devout to Joseph, to Eden's Gate, they were just throwing their lives away in attempt to stop the 'sinnners', because that's what he wanted. It was sickening.  
Jada and Burke approached an overpass with train tracks just as the plane was diving down to fire at them again. Thankfully, they were under cover, but the bullets hit a few tank cars that were stopped on the tracks, and set off a massive explosion behind them. It blocked the path of the peggies following them, but there were even more ahead.

Delivery trucks covered the width of the road. More armed cultists. Cement roadblocks painted with the word 'YES' in black across them. _What in the world?_  
“More like hell-fuckin-NO,” said Marshall Burke gruffly. “They're not getting us, rook.”  
The two went off-road again, cutting through branches and bushes as they whipped against the truck. Jada winced and put her arm up to shield her face when she felt small pebbles and sticks flying in and hitting them. The plane was still following above, readying for another attack. She wasn't confident it would miss this time. They were back on the road and heading towards a massive truss bridge. If they could just make it across there, they would be almost out.  
No more peggies were behind them, but the plane was closing in. Jada's stomach sank when she heard the whistle of bombs being dropped.  
"Jesus Christ!" Screamed Burke. "Incoming!"  
He rotated the steering wheel all the way to the right, and managed to avoid being directly hit by the bombs, but the force of the explosion sent the truck flying sideways, crashing through the bridge grates and plummeting into the water below. Jada couldn't even scream. She was just in shock.

The impact with the water knocked her out for a few seconds. When she came to, she felt the Marshall gripping her arm, pushing her to go up. The water was extremely cold. They were sinking fast. Jada pulled herself out of the passenger window, and swam up towards the moonlight. Her lungs burned, and she started to panic, because she was still such a long way down. She kicked faster and pushed up harder. She was on the brink of passing out, but she finally broke the surface, and took a deep breath in. Her body was so tired, she started to sink down again. She grunted and kicked, fighting to keep her head above. She scanned for the shore and swam towards it. Eventually she felt the rocky bottom against her boots and she dragged herself out of the water, coughing out any she swallowed. She collapsed, and attempted to catch her breath. In the distance, on the bridge, she saw headlights and flashlights shining down onto the lake. The peggies were still looking for them. Her hearing was muffled but she could still make out what the peggies were saying.  
"There were two in the truck!"  
"Check the shoreline!"

She had to get up. Everything felt sore, and her breathing was shallow. Jada turned and continued to drag herself further up the shore. From not too far away, she could hear an enraged Marshall Burke. "Get off me! I am United States Federal Marshall!" There was a struggle, followed by a heavy smack with a gun, then a thud as he fell to the ground. "This one needs a little Faith..." said a cultist. "Take him to the Pilgrimage." They got him. She wanted to help, but couldn't move, and watched helplessly as he was thrown into a van and taken away. Two peggies remained, searching the shoreline for her. Suddenly, she heard soft footsteps on the sand and rocks. She looked to see a man approach her and stand above her. It was too dark to tell who he was, but he didn't seem like one of the cultists. He began to pick her up and drag her away. In that moment, she had little choice in whatever fate awaited her. She struggled against him until she had no energy left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter 3 will be up soon! Thanks so much for reading. Any feedback is appreciated!


	3. Dutch's Island

Jada was slowly coming out of what felt like a deep slumber. Her eyes were closed but she could hear Joseph's voice, blended with a soft, lullaby-like melody through a radio.

"My children...

We must give thanks to God. The day I have prophesied to you has arrived. 

Everything I've told you has come true...

The authorities who tried to take me from you are now in the loving embrace of my family.

Save for one...

But this wayward soul will be found. And she will be punished...

And in the end, she will see our glorious purpose.

I am your Father, and you are my children. And together, we will March to--" 

The radio suddenly clicked off. She heaved her eyes open. Her wrists were zip tied to the end of a bedpost. She looked over to her side and saw a man standing across from her, facing away. He smothered his lit cigarette in the ashtray on top of the shelf and turned around to face her. The room was dimly lit and his face was shadowed, but she could see that he was bald, and wore army fatigues. "You know what that shit means?" His voice was raspy and gruff. He jerked his thumb to the radio. Jada remained silent. "It means the roads have all been closed. The phone lines have been cut. It means there's no signals gettin' in or out of this valley." The man walked closer and sat down on the chair in front of her and pushed his drooping glasses up the bridge of his nose. He was older, she guessed in his sixties. His goatee white and deep lines were etched into his face. "But mostly, it means we're all fucked." He let out a frustrated sigh. A few moments of silence passed, as he stared at her with a frown. Jada wasn't sure if he was angry at her or intended to hurt her. "The goddamn 'Collapse'... They all think the world's comin' to an end now. They've been waiting for it. For years. Waiting for someone to come along and fulfill their prophecy and kick off their goddamn Holy War." He was frowning still, his tone accusatory. "Well kid, you sure as shit kicked." He leaned back in his chair, folded his hands over his abdomen and let out another sigh. He continue to stare, contemplating what to do.

"Look mister, I was just following orders... I didn't think my very _first arrest_ would lead to all this." Jada scowled at the stranger and tried to wriggle free from the zip tie. It was on way too tight. "So why did you take me here? You could have just let those peggies find me on the shore. I could be with Joseph and his _loving family_ right now." She rolled her eyes.

"I could have. The smartest thing for me to do would just be to hand you over..." He said, letting his gaze sink to the floor. The clock on the wall ticked away for seconds as he weighed his options. "But maybe... Ah fuck..." He muttered, as he pulled out a combat knife from a sheathe on his utility belt. He flipped the blade up and approached Jada. She flinched and scooted back a couple inches until her back was against the cold concrete wall.  
"Oh, calm down." He said, cutting the zip tie off of her wrists. She flexed her numbing hands, getting the blood flow back to them. Her back was also sore. She had been slouched over to the side for--Well, she didn't know how long she was out, but it felt like a while. She looked up at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Get yourself out of that uniform. We need to burn it. There's some fresh clothes there," he said, pointing to a set of lockers next to her. "When you get changed," he continued, "you come and see me. We'll see if we can... un-fuck this situation."  
Jada gave him a tepid nod. She would do what could to help, but there was part of her that felt pretty hopeless, and guilty for being partially responsible for the cult's sudden violent takeover. She stood up and watched him leave the room, giving her privacy to change. She glanced around. This hideaway must have been a bunker; that would explain the concrete walls, and no windows. The room was lit by fluorescent ceiling lights, giving it a sort of gloomy, pale atmosphere. She noticed there were medals and plaques on the adjacent wall, and a large US flag. The stranger was clearly patriotic, and proud of his service in the army.

Jada looked through the clothes in the locker. There wasn't much, but she wasn't picky. She picked up a simple grey tank top, and navy blue cargo pants. A little baggy, being men's clothing, but she wouldn't complain. She was tall and had a decent amount of muscle so she filled them out well enough. There was a backpack on the floor next to where she was sitting, and she assumed it would be okay for her to use it if he left it there. She unzipped it and looked inside. Bandages, a pair of sunglasses, and a baseball style cap. She used the bandages to create hand wraps, and put on both the glasses and hat, figuring they would help hide her identity. For a short time, at least. She couldn't bring herself to burn her deputy uniform, so she stuffed it away in the backpack. As long as she wasn't wearing it, she would be less unrecognizable. She checked the full length mirror that was beside the lockers and sighed. She looked rather beaten up.Her appearance was the least of her worries, though.

Once Jada was ready, she went to find the mysterious survivalist-slash-veteran. She passed a medical room, equipped with first aid and other medical supplies and a couple of cots. The next room was had four sets of bunk beds, a radio, a desk and storage units. Jada passed had shelves of guns, ammo, medicine, food, and other doomsday essentials, and even more she spotted from behind a locked door. He said that the peggies expected the end of the world, but he must have as well, to be this well-stocked and prepared. She finally found the veteran in what must of been his communications and surveillance room. There were tables with radios, multiple televisions and sets of speakers on them. The TVs showed footage from what she assumed to be the small island outside of the bunker. He had his back turned to her and was organizing some notes on his desk while talking to someone on his radio. To her left as she entered the room there was a large cork bulletin board that took up the whole wall, pinned with photos of the seed family, notes, letters, and arrows and lines connecting each together in some way.   
While she waited for him to finish his conversation, she decided to read up on what was written about the Seeds. 

_John Seed - The Baptist_. _Controls Holland Valley region._ The photo was of the well-dressed man with the striking blue eyes and slicked black hair. The one that stared her down with such a predatory gaze. She frowned as she continued reading:  
 _Youngest of The Seed brothers and maybe the most sadistic. In charge of recruiting for the cult -- MARKING, CLEANSING, CONFESSION, ATONEMENT... Those are the four steps he puts everyone through to become members of Eden's Gate -- If they survive. John tells everyone to accept "THE POWER OF YES" as a way to get his followers to do whatever the fuck he wants. Grade A psychopath._

The next note attached to the photo of the ginger-haired man read: _Jacob Seed - The Soldier. Oldest brother of the Seeds. In charge of TRAINING their militia up in the Whitetail mountains. Only thing he believes in is "SACRIFICE THE WEAK." Seems to be running a few psychological experiments up north -- all sorts of nightmare stories about people turning on one another at the drop of a hat... Has been linked to the creation of the monster wolves up north the cult calls JUDGES._

She shifted her gaze to the photo of Joseph. She figured knew enough about him, but decided to see what the veteran had written anyway. _Joseph Seed - The Father. Leader of The Project at Eden's Gate. He believes a great 'COLLAPSE' is coming, and thinks of himself as a modern day Noah. Thinks God speaks to him -- told him to SAVE AS MANY SOULS AS HE CAN. Now that he's started THE REAPING, his followers are willing to die for him. He's had his people build three massive bunkers to protect themselves when his prophecy comes true ... This guy is an absolute nutjob._

Not hard to come to that conclusion. She stepped over to the end of the board and examined the photo of the beautiful young woman she had seen in the church with the rest of the Seeds. _Faith Seed - The Siren. Don't know how she's related. Seems like she just showed up one day... She'll spin you a sob story, but faith is a LIAR and a MANIPULATOR. She'll poison your mind with BLISS, if you give her the chance. Anyone who goes wandering into the Henbane River winds up either dead or 'WALKING THE PATH' to become one of those brain-dead angels doing all the cult's hard labour._

Bottom line, the Seed family was dangerous, and Jada wasn't enthusiastic about coming face to face with any of them. But she was determined to rescue her fellow deputies, the Marshall, and the Sheriff. She placed a hand to her chin and looked across the rest of the notes, taking in any more information she could, until the man finished his conversation and addressed her. "Apologies, I didn't properly introduce myself. Most folks call me Dutch. You are?"  
"Deputy Hale--Er, Jada." She wasn't sure her position even mattered much at this point.  
"I'll just call you Deputy." Dutch said. "So, I've been trying to piece together what's happenin' up top... It ain't good. Little I can gather is that your partners are alive, for now. Seems they've been split up, each one handed off to a different member of Joseph's family."  
 _Those bastards_. Jada's expression hardened into noticeable anger. She leaned back on the table and folded her arms, letting out a sharp breath through her nose. The thought of what they could be going through right now made her stomach knot.  
"You want 'em back," Dutch continued, "I get it. I got friends that been taken, too. Problem is, there ain't no help comin'. Nobody knows what's goin' on here and they won't know until it's too late. There's gotta be people out there willing to fight back against this cult. We just ... need to show 'em how. We need to build us a resistance. I think you just might be the one who can help me with that."  
"What makes you think so?" Jada asked. She knew that she had good leadership skills, but to build a whole resistance? To fight back against a cult that's taken over all of Hope County? She had her doubts. Her main goal was to retrieve her partners, get the hell out of here and come back with the National Guard. Why that wasn't done in the first place was beyond her. To send in only five people to Joseph's compound was absurd and idiotic.   
"Of course I can't know how this'll all play out," Dutch said, "you just have this look about you. I know a true fighter when I see one. I never usually say this... but maybe some things happen for a reason."  
"I'm flattered by your confidence in me, but I'm just one person." Jada replied. "Still, I'll do my best to help."  
"That's all I'm askin'. And I'll help you as much as I can. So, you ready to get to work?" Dutch extended his hand. Jada took it and gave a firm shake in agreement. There was not much choice otherwise, she could either wait in Dutch's bunker and let the cult take over, or take action. She would always choose the latter. Even if she died trying.  
"So the first thing we're gonna do is get control of this island. There's some things you'll need to know first before you head out." Dutch explained more about the resources the cult had, the kind of weapons they used, locations of outposts they had set up, and the best methods to take them out. He also told her to beware of the 'Bliss' the drug they used to help convert people into the cult.  
Jada did her best to make mental notes of everything..  
"Once we got some breathing room, we can figure out what's coming next. There's a gun and a map in the safe over there, take 'em. And a key to my armory. Take what you need." Dutch pointed to an opened safe on the floor. "I'll give ya a call on your radio once you get your bearings."  
Jada nodded and went over to the safe to take the items. She put the hand gun in her holster and put the map in her back pocket for easy access. She turned to Dutch. "Thank you, Dutch. I'll be off, then." She exited the room and walked towards the locked armory.  
"Be careful out there," Dutch warned after her, "it's crawlin' with peggies. You obviously know those fuckers are willing to die for that psychopath that's leadin' em. They'll be looking for you."  
  
Jada unlocked the door and stood in the center of the room, pondering which weapons she would need. She also did not want to overload her pack, after hours of walking it would weigh heavy on her. She took some grenades, more throwing knives, a first aid kid, and plenty of ammo for the hand gun. Then, she left the room, locking it behind her, left the key on a nearby shelf, and headed up the stairs leading out of the bunker.

She opened the heavy hatch and winced as her eyes adjusted to the brightness of the daylight as it flooded in. It was warm, the skies were clear blue, birds chirped, insects buzzed, and for the moment, things seemed peaceful. The calm before the storm. Jada took a breath of the fresh air, and steeled herself for the arduous task ahead of her.

The foliage of the many pine and spruce trees gave her enough cover to roam the island undetected for a while. It unfortunately made it difficult to see much ahead, so she kept her ears sharp for any cutlists on the island. Distant chatter could be heard as she headed further south. She moved through the bushes carefully and came to a clearing by the water. There were peggies standing around what looked to be a shrine, surrounded by more of those barrels leaking with a green misty substance, same as the ones she saw back at Joseph's compound. The Bliss.  
Reaching in to her backpack, she retrieved a grenade, pulled the pin and threw it. The peggies stopped their chanting, singing, whatever it was they were doing, looked down at the grenade that bounced towards them, and started to scatter in a panic. The shrine was blown to pieces, debris flying everywhere. The bliss barells exploded into clouds of green. Two peggies were immediately killed, and the other two that remained, Jada picked off with a few shots of her gun. They dropped to the ground with a thud. "Fuck," Jada gasped. The blood and dead bodies were was a gruesome sight. She had to remind herself again what these people were doing to innocent folk, how corrupt they were, to justify the violence. That way she wouldn't feel sympathy for them. 

She advanced forward to investigate. Even though the mist had mostly vanished, traces still must have lingered in the air, and immediately upon stepping near the shrine, her vision started to sway, she felt drowsy and relaxed. It was like a powerful high. "What the hell..." She gritted her teeth and shook her head, fighting off the effect. She hurried out of the area into clearer air, and it took a few moments for her vision to return to normal. She did not expect the bliss to be that potent. 

Suddenly, she heard muffled cries, and noticed a woman tied up by the water, soaking wet and shivering. Clearly not a peggie. Jada ran to her and cut the ropes loose with her knife. "You alright miss?" She asked. The woman took a moment to stop shaking and crying. "Th-They were gonna kill me, I think. Just kept putting my head under, trying to 'cleanse' me. I-I nearly d-drowned..."  
"You're alright now," Jada said softly, stroking her shoulder. "I'm sorry they did this to you."   
The woman continued to sob, and looked around frantically. "There's more peggies on this island. The rest of them are at the Silver Lake Ranger Station. They have my sister there. Y-you took them out no problem. Who are you?"  
"I'm a deputy from the Hope County Sheriff's department," Jada told her. "Will you be alright to wait here? If any more cultists show up, take cover in the trees, don't make a sound. I'll go to the ranger station, retrieve any civilians, and return here, ok?"  
The woman simply nodded, tears streaming down her face. She looked unsure about being left on her own, but knew she couldn't go along with Jada.   
"I'll be back as soon as I can," Jada locked eyes with the woman to reassure her, giving her a comforting pat on the back. "Which way?"  
The woman pointed out the direction of the ranger station, and Jada took off swiftly.

She glowered, eyes forward as she ran through the woods, keeping her breathing even, vaulting over any fallen logs or rocks in her way, then following the path that lead her to her destination. It took only a few minutes to get there and she saw the sign.  
  
 _Silver Lake Conservation Area_  
 _Ranger Statio_ n  
  
She slowed down, doing a quick surveillance of the station. Peggies patrolled the grounds, and she spotted the captives inside the ranger office cabin. Thankfully there were not too many of them, but Jada knew she couldn't just go in guns blazing. She crouched down and snuck from tree to tree, hiding behind the trunks. A peggie was only a couple of feet away, and still was unaware of her presence. Jada pulled him back into the bushes, covering his mouth to muffle his startled yelp. Once he was on the ground she struck him in the side of his head with the butt of her gun. "One down... Five to go." She whispered to herself. The next peggie was also taken out silently. The rest would have to be finished with gunfire. She aimed her gun at the unsuspecting peggie and fired, hitting him in the shoulder, she fired again and landed a headshot. Hearing the gunshot and noticing their fallen comrade, and the others missing, the peggies aimed their guns and circled in place. "Who's out there?!"  
Jada, still in cover, fired from the trees and took down another cultist. There was a cultist woman who held a simple bat, running to the direction she heard the gunfire from. Jada needed to reload her gun, but didn't have enough time, so she took out her throwing knives and threw one at the approaching woman with the bat, who was screaming with rage. It startled and disturbed Jada, when the knife hit the woman's chest but she didn't falter. She brought down the bat but Jada managed to catch it, the force still knocked her backward and the cultist woman straddled her and brought the bat down again. Jada gripped it before it could hit her face, but felt immense pain from the impact on her palms. "Over here!" The woman shouted, and Jada could hear the other two running for her. Jada ripped the bat from the cultist's grip and threw it far to the side. The cultist managed to punch her a few times, bloodying her already tender nose once more, and Jada was stunned for a moment. She raised her arms over her face to block the punches and bucked her hips up, knocking the cultist woman off of her. Jada gripped her knife and sunk it into the woman's ribs repeatedly, who cried out before the life faded from her eyes as she bled out.   
Jada scrambled for her gun and picked it up, ducking down from the rain of bullets flying over her head. When they paused to reload she leaned out from cover, and shot the last two cultists. Then, silence. Jada caught her breath and wiped the blood from her nose. "Ow, fuck," she grumbled, while making her way to the cabin to release the captives.

When she opened the door, the group of four looked terrified, but then relieved to see she was not a peggie. Jada cut them free and they pulled out the gags from their mouths. A young man hugged her instantly, filled with gratitude. Her arms hung awkwardly at the side, but she smiled. "You folks alright?" She asked.  
"Thanks to you!" said the young man. "We thought we were either goners, or about to be indoctrinated."  
The others thanked her and shook her hand, save for one.   
Another man, middle aged, looked behind her as if he were expecting someone else. "You took down those peggies?"  
Jada placed her hands on her hips and gave a curt nod. "Sure did, sir."  
He narrowed his eyes. "How?"  
"Suppose a mix of determination, conviction, and extensive training. I'm deputy Hale, of the Hope County Sheriff's department." No need to mention she was technically still on probation...  
The man looked thankful, but still doubtful. "Right, well, my thanks to you and whichever other feller helped us out."  
Jada rolled her eyes. "Y'all need to get out of here before more peggies come. Follow me and my invisible partner Jerry, here." She gestured to the empty space beside her.  
The others chuckled and the older man huffed.   
"Those of you who know how to use a gun--pick one up from the peggies and arm yourselves quick. Let's move out."  
She lead them out of the cabin, they picked up some weapons and ammo and made their way down the path back to the edge of the island where the boat, and the woman she rescued from before was waiting. Jada was glad to see she was unharmed. She waved, and upon seeing her sister and the rest of the former captives, the woman ran to her and embraced her sibling.  
  
"Is there somewhere safe you can go?" Jada addressed the group.  
The young man spoke up. "We're all from Holland Valley. The cult has taken over most of of it, but my home might still be secured. It's pretty secluded. We can go there."  
"You're not coming with us?" The woman she first rescued asked.  
"I still have some business to finish, here." Jada said, looking over her shoulder. "More cult shrines to destroy." She smirked. "There's a man that lives on this island, in the center of it you'll find his bunker, he has enough supplies to patch everyone up and you can get some rest."  
"I'll take us there first. Thanks Deputy." The young man stepped up to lead the way. Sweet kid. Couldn't have been older than nineteen. He had a bright and steadfast look in his eyes. Jada had a good feeling he would make it, and would made sure the rest of the group did too.   
"Take care, look out for each other. I'll let him know you're coming." She then radioed in to Dutch to let him know about his soon-to-be guests.   
  


"Been watching the surveillance footage. Shit, kid, I'm impressed. There's even more fight in you than I thought." Dutch contacted her again after the folks she rescued were settled in. She took the radio from from her belt and held down the button respond. "Just doing what needs to be done, Dutch."  
"Well you got a real shot at settin' up this resistance. Next step is clearing up the radio signal. My CB's on the fritz--I can't get ahold of anyone off this island. The radio tower near the south shore must be busted. You think you can climb it and activate the antenna for me?"   
"Only if you say 'please'," she joked. There was silence for a few beats on the other end.   
"Um. Please." Dutch responded flatly.   
Jada snickered. "Gotcha. Will do."  
  
On her way to the radio tower, she found the rest of the cult shrines. One was completely unguarded, so it was easy enough for her to blow it up without any trouble. The next was guarded by four peggies; nothing she couldn't handle. One did catch sight of her, and the side of her arm was nicked with the edge of a bullet, that left a deep cut. She shot the cultist who shot at her, and she was able to take the others out with a single grenade as they were all sitting close to each other, praying to the shrine. She bandaged her arm and was on her way again.

Jada could see the radio tower, as it stood high above the trees. She reached the base and was relieved to find no peggies around. Craning her neck up, she shielded her eyes from the sun as she looked to the very top of the tower. She approached the ladder and gripped it, and began to climb.  
 _Dutch had better appreciate this._ Her limbs ached by the time she finished climbing the first ladder, and there were still three more to go. At the top of the second, she felt dizzy from the height. When she finally reached the top, she could hear nothing but the wind, and the metal creaking of the platform beneath her feet. Despite how she swayed uneasily, she took a moment to take in the incredible view of the whole county. She could see as far as the Whitetail mountains in the distance to the north, beyond the fog. To the Southeast was the Henbane River, and further South was Holland Valley. She was undecided on where to head first. "Just pull the switch at the top and it should extend the antenna," Dutch instructed. She did so, and the machinery whirred as the large antenna took a few moments to extend.  
"Signal is strong now! Picking up calls from all across the County." Dutch said.   
"What do you hear?" _  
_"You can probably tune in to them on your radio as well," he replied. "Seems folk are in urgent need everywhere. It's up to you on where you go next, Deputy. I'll keep you posted on anything that can be useful." _  
_"Gotcha." Jada changed frequency and picked up a call in Holland Valley: _"Fall's end has Fallen to the Peggies! If anyone can hear me and can help, we really need you! Mary May out."  
_ Jada hooked her radio back on her belt and made the long trip back down the ladders. She finally felt steady and was thankful to reach the ground.  
  
The only way to access or leave the island was by watercraft, so there were lots left around by the peggies. Before she departed, Dutch radioed in. "Thanks for all you've done here, kid. Keep up the good work. Keep rescuin' folks, takin' out those shrines, and if you can, get some people together willing to fight and take down their outposts. It'll give the resistance a solid foothold to push back against the cult. We need to show them we're not fuckin' around no more, and we're not givin' up so easily. I'll be in touch."  
"Okay. Talk later, Dutch. Stay safe."  
Jada hopped on to a jet ski and started it up once she was away from the shore. It loudly revved to life and the motor churned in the water. She created a large wake behind her as she turned the throttle to full speed, and was off to Holland Valley.

**Author's Note:**

> This has likely been done plenty of times, but I really am just doing this for my own enjoyment, haha. Hey, if others enjoy it too, that's great. I'm not sure how far I'll get but my goal is to retell the story of Far Cry with a bit more fleshing out here and there, and I wanted to give a voice and more personality to the deputy and put a bit of my own spin on the story while still following the plot of the game.  
> Thanks for reading, any feedback is appreciated.
> 
> EDIT: 11/05/2020 - I decided to change the story to third person POV, rather than first person. If I missed editing out any 'I's' "my" or "myself", I apologize.


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